Penniston Barn

Updated 15 April 2021

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 19 March 2021 and was announced.

Updated 15 April 2021

About the service

Penniston Barn is a residential care home providing personal care to six younger adults living with a learning disability or autism the time of the inspection. People had their own bedrooms, with en-suite shower rooms and shared communal areas such as the kitchen, the lounge and the garden.

The service had been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence.

The service was in a rural location far away from local amenities with limited access to public transport. The service was clearly advertised as a care facility with identifying signs and industrial waste bins. However, this did not have a negative impact on people using the service. The service was decorated as a home environment inside based on people's choices and people had their own vehicles which they could use to access the community.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People and their relatives were positive about the care they received. One relative said, ‘‘[Staff] are great and work well as a team as well as working with [Person]. It is a great little service and [person] is so happy there.’’

People received exceptionally effective care which ensured that they achieved fantastic outcomes and were supported to improve their quality of life. Without exception people were encouraged to communicate their needs more effectively, access the community more and manage their own anxiety and distressed behaviours. the support which people received to maintain a balanced and healthy diet was exemplary. Relatives feedback about the impact the support at the service had for their family members was complimentary. The manager kept up to date with best practice guidance and used this to continually improve people’s support.

People were supported by a kind and compassionate staff team who had got to know them as individuals. People were kept at the centre of their care and supported to make choices in all aspects of their daily living. Staff promoted people’s independence and respected their privacy and their dignity. People’s support was tailored to their individual needs and preferences and staff supported people to take part in a wide array of activities based on their interests. Staff supported people to communicate in ways which they understood.

People felt safe living at the service and staff had a good understanding of safeguarding. Staff followed people’s risk assessments when supporting them to ensure that they stayed safe whilst taking positive risks. There were enough staff to support people safely and staff were recruited in line with best practice and guidance. People were supported safely with their medicines. The service was clean and staff followed good infection control practices.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. The manager had a detailed complaints procedure in place and responded to any complaints made promptly. Staff were working to help people put plans in place for the end of their life and document their wishes.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence. The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

The manager and staff team were passionate about providing a positive atmosphere for people at the service. The manager completed audits to monitor the quality of the service and acted to make improvements where these were necessary. People, relatives and staff were encouraged to be involved and feedback about the service. The service linked and worked well with other organisations. Feedback about the support which the manager and staff team gave to people was exceptionally positive.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection (and update)

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 13 March 2019). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.